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Thursday, March 31, 2016

The 1950's were an exciting
and turbulent time in America. Things were changing and some of
these changes would not be felt until the 1960's and beyond.

Elvis Presley was a
superstar, this made him the heart throb of every girl and the bane
of every parent. His sexually explicit performances and rebel
persona was selling records. Then came the draft. In 1956 Elvis
turned 21 making him eligible for the draft. On his 22nd
birthday he was classified 1-A and would be drafted early in 1958.
However, his movie contract with Paramount allowed him to defer his
actual enlistment until late March 1958.

Elvis was offered the
chance to serve in the Special Services. If he accepted he would
have special housing, and his life would change very little. Col.
Tom Parker, Elvis's manager had a better plan. He knew if Elvis
performed for the Special Services he would not be paid, and all of
his performances would be filmed and recorded, then sold all over the
world. Col. Parker convinced Elvis that if he enlisted as a regular
soldier he could gain the trust of the parents and end up a bigger
star. And that is exactly what happened in 1958.

Orville and Wilbur Wright
had proven that powered flight was possible in 1903. It was not
until 1926 that the federal government created rules for flight under
the Department of Commerce. In 1938 the Civil Aeronautics Authority
was given the task of air safety, airports, and air traffic control.
In 1940 president Roosevelt split the CAA into two parts. A new
agency the Civil Aeronautics Board was tasked with accident
investigation, and regulating the financial rules for airlines. This
all changed in 1958.

After a series of mid-air
collisions the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created a single
authority for all aspects of air travel. The Federal Aviation Agency
was created in 1958.

America was stupid. Well
at least according to the government. In 1958 the National Defense
Education Act was passed. Its goal was to increase education in
technological fields to counter the growing threat posed by the
Soviet Unions launching of Sputnik. By issuing student loans and
other aid to schools at all levels the government hoped to increase
the brain power of America.

Of course that leads us to
the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which created the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA was to have a civilian vs
military leaning. NASA was intended to create a peaceful application
of science and space exploration. Space, in 1958.

The Soviet Union ended its
occupation of Romania in 1958. Having occupied Romania since 1944,
the Romanians had gone through extensive “reeducation” and its
political fate was tied to the Soviet Bloc.

In July 1958, Lebanon was threatened
by a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims. Much of the
crisis had to do with the Christians wanting to remain pro-western,
and the Muslims wanting to join the United Arab Republic that had
been formed by Egypt and Syria. U.S. Marines and Lebanese Army forces
maintained control of the port and airport of Beirut. When the
president of Lebanon completed his term the crisis ended.